Search form

You are here

Upcoming Events

This is the diary of special events, courses, field trips and holidays. Further diary entries will be added as they become known so be sure to check back for additional events.

To add new events to this page (only if you have been given the appropriate access) click here.

The background colour of the date is used to show different types of meeting:

Green is used for BDS and BDS Local Group field meetings and events.

Blue events have a BDS stand or speaker but the BDS is not responsible for the event itself - please follow any given links for details.

Yellow is for relevant non-BDS events, listed using information as it was provided to us. All details are solely under the control of the individual event organisers and may not get updated again here. We suggest you contact these organisers or follow the given links to confirm details.

For those leading events, the current BDS Risk Assessment and Walk Guidelines can be downloaded here. Walk leaders are advised to adapt the Risk Assessment if necessary. Only those events sent to us in advance and displayed on our website are covered by BDS insurance. It's therefore worth checking that your event is displayed before it takes place. An event can be advertised as only for local group members or limited to bookings only. Many thanks for your cooperation.

every week in 2019

Leeds, West Yorkshire

Event:

Rodley Nature Reserve Volunteer Days

The Reserve relies entirely on voluntary help and welcomes anyone, young or old, to join in with the many aspects of work required in its day-to-day management.

Habitat maintenance and project work is carried out every Monday and Friday whilst Visitor Centre volunteers are required every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. In addition help is always welcome on a Tuesday and Thursday during the summer months when the Reserve is given over to visiting school groups on educational visits.

Work Volunteers

Spring and Summer seasons tend to concentrate on general maintenance and repair work including grass maintenance and meadow management. In addition at this time of year Himalayan Balsam has to be controlled to minimise the spread of this species. Autumn and Winter is the busiest period of the year for work volunteers with coppicing, hedge building, reed cutting and ditch clearance. Project work is also carried out during this time to avoid disturbance to the wildlife during the summer months.

If you are interested come and give it a go and, where necessary, appropriate training will be provided.

Education Volunteers

Education Volunteers look after our educational visits most of which are from 5 to 11 year olds from Primary Schools, Scouts and Brownies etc.

You don’t have to be an expert naturalist or a teacher, but if you have a knowledge of natural history and an enthusiasm to share it with our young visitors you can make a real contribution to our young people and to Rodley Nature Reserve.

Visitor Centre

Can you help with serving tea and coffee and dealing with sales from our shop? The Centre can be quite busy particularly on warm summer weekends and volunteers are required to work as a team to serve our visitors. After a period in the Centre to gain experience of the Reserve and its visitors it may be possible to extend the duties to include Wardening where volunteers are out and about on the Reserve to provide help for our visitors in a “here to help role”.

Last Sunday of the month from September to April

Newton Abbot, Devon

Event:

Stover Country Park Work Party

Stover volunteers help maintain the park for both visitors and wildlife, through practical worrk parties. Without the help of these volunteers the years routine maintenance would be hard to complete! Projects range from grass raking, brash removal, rhododendron clearance, bridge building, marsh maintenance and path laying, among others.

Stover Volunteers meet on the last Sunday of the month throughout the winter, from September to April.

Anyone is free to join, these workshops are a great opportunity to keep fit, learn new skills, make friends, gain valuable experience or just have fun.

every Thursday and the last Sunday of every month in 2019

Elstead, Surrey

Event:

Thursley Volunteers

The Thursley volunteer group meets every week on Thrusday and once a month on Sunday. Over the winter work is focused on habitat management, while over the summer volunteers carry out site maintenance and wildlife surveys. Anyone is welcome to join; volunteering is a great way to find out more about the wildlife of Thursley NNR, develope new skills and make new friends.

Contact James Giles Reserve Manager for more information, and to join in.

Thursday 11 April 2019

Bishops Wood, Staffordshire

Dragonfly Larvae & Exuviae ID with Microscopes (WM region)

Tutor: Sue Rees Evans

Dragonfly exuviae are fascinating – empty exoskeletons often found clinging to vegetation around ponds. Did you know they can often be identified to species?

Dragonfly larvae (the aquatic stage in a dragonfly’s life cycle) are trickier to identify and need to use of microscopes and keys.
This course will start with classroom sessions on dragonfly larvae and exuviae and the part they play in the dragonfly life cycle. We will then head outdoors (weather permitting) to pond dip for larvae, talk about how to find exuviae, and practice some hands-on identification. After lunch, indoor practical sessions will then focus on the identification of exuviae and larvae using microscopes and keys.

This course is most suitable for those people who currently record adult dragonflies in the field and wish to start identifying dragonflies at different stages of their life cycle, or for those people who currently study other groups of freshwater invertebrates and would like to expand their identification skills to include dragonfly larvae and exuviae.

Sue Rees Evans has been the Shropshire County Recorder for Dragonflies and Damselflies for the last 8 years. During this time Sue created the ‘Shropshire Dragonflies’ website (shropshiredragonflies.co.uk) which serves as an online atlas and hosts the Shropshire Dragonfly Watch blog. Already an enthusiastic recorder of adult Dragonflies and Damselflies, an MSc in Biological Recording gave Sue the opportunity to dive into the world of larval and exuvial identification. With a real enthusiasm for hands on teaching, Sue has taught numerous courses on Dragonfly and Damselfly identification both as an Associate Tutor for the FSC and for various Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust and projects further afield such as ‘Cold-blooded and Spineless’ in the North Pennines. Though passing on the County Recorder role in 2018, Sue is looking forward to spending more time teaching and encouraging everyone to enjoy these fabulous insects.

Thursday 09 May 2019

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Event:

Looking at Freshwater Invertebrates with Microscopes (WM region)

Tutor: Charlie Bell

Freshwater invertebrates are incredibly important for freshwater food webs and ecosystems and are an important stage in the life cycle of many invertebrates with land-based adult forms, such as dragonflies, mayflies and many true flies. They are also used extensively in monitoring water quality. However, many freshwater invertebrate groups are hugely under-recorded and many people know little about these fascinating groups, let alone how to differentiate between them. The sheer number of different invertebrate groups can be intimidating to the beginner, so it’s unsurprising that people are put off learning about the individual species.
This course is an introductory course aimed at those interested in learning more about ‘what makes a mayfly a mayfly?’ and will give a very basic overview of some of the features needed to identify which group a freshwater invertebrate belongs to. We will look at how to use microscopes and an identification key to classify freshwater invertebrates into their respective groups with preserved specimens. By the end of the day you will know how to determine if something is a mayfly or a stonefly and will have learned that looking at invertebrate features is not as difficult as you may imagine.
This course is an introductory course and absolutely no experience of identifying invertebrates, using microscopes or following an identification key is needed to enjoy this course – just a passion for nature and learning more about wildlife that is often overlooked.

Please note that this course will involve the use of specimens that have been killed and preserved.

Charlie Bell joined the FSC in Feb 2015 to work on the Tomorrow's Biodiversity project. She now works as the FSC BioLinks Project Officer in the West Midlands.

Charlie's background is in conservation and ecology, and her varied entomological interests include freshwater invertebrates, moths, springtails, earthworms and spiders!

This course is heavily subsidised by the FSC BioLinks Project (funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund).

Sunday 19 May 2019

Stafford, Staffordshire

Event:

Dragonflies of Chartley Moss

Chartley Moss National Nature Reserve is the largest floating peat bog in Britain, and supports important botanical communities. It is also recognised as an important site for Dragonflies, as its sphagnum pools support breeding populations of the rare White-faced Darter. Join Natural England Reserve Manager Paul Shires, and BDS Conservation Officer Ellie Colver, for a guided tour around this wonderful site, and a chance to encounter this charismatic species.

Wear suitable outdoor footwear (wellies would be best as it can be very wet) and clothing. Bring binoculars, ID books, camera if you have them.

Contact Eleanor Colver to book a place on one of the walks. Please provide a phone/mobile number and the names of all the people attending.

Additional Info:

16th June 2019

Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire

Event:

Dragonfly Larvae Identification Course

A Dragonfly larvae I.D. course with Henry Curry at National Trust Wicken Fen Nature Reserve. Aimed at beginners, this course will start with an introduction to dragonfly larvae and the their place in the dragonfly life-cycle. Indoor practical sessions will focus on the identification of cast skins (exuviae). Depending on the weather, we'll go out onto the Fen and look at the dipping ponds and practice identification in the field.

Sturdy footwear - perhaps wellies/walking boots if it has been wet - and waterproofs as we will be briefly venturing out on to the Fen.

Total walking will be no more than 1km. Identification guides, hand lens if you have one. We'll provide some microscopes. (Note: There is a car park charge for non-NT members.)

Additional Info:

For those who wish, the ‘Field Guide to the larvae and exuviae of British Dragonflies’ by Steve Cham will be available to purchase on the day.

Saturday 6th July 2019

Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire

Event:

Adult Dragonflies and their habitats for beginners

Led by Stuart Irons.

The aim of this course is for participants to identify common species of adult dragonflies and their habitats. There will be sessions using colour photo presentations, one-to-one guidance and a field tour of adult dragonfly and water plant habitats.

From Acle, Norwich or Wroxham head towards South Walsham, then follow signs for Pilson Green. Local public transport services are limited. The nearest train station is Acle (3.5 miles).

Requirements:

Booking essential – preferably by email. Numbers strictly limited.

Wellies or boots, insect repellent. Packed lunch if staying on site (unguided) for the afternoon.

Additional Info:

13/07/2019

Dragonfly Week 2019!

Event:

Dragonfly Week!

Saturday 13th July - Sunday 21st July 2019

We think that Dragonflies are so awesome that they deserve a whole week (an extended 9 day week in fact!) dedicated to celebrating them! Please join in whereever you are in the world! Wear your favourite Dragonfly print clothing, bake cakes/biscuits with dragonflies on, head to your nearest pond to see some real life dragons, create some dragonfly inspired art - celebrate in anyway that you want to Make sure you let us know what you do though so that we can share with other dragon fans! We will be organising some events of our own that you can join at sites where lots of dragons live too. Watch this space for more details nearer to the time!

Wednesday- Thursday 17-18 July 2019

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Event:

Illustrating Dragonflies and Damselflies

Tutor: Lizzie Harper

Learn a little about British dragonflies and damselflies, and to draw and paint these amazing animals.

This two-day workshop will give you the chance to learn a little about British dragonflies and damselflies, and to draw and paint these amazing animals. Designed for those with some experience of watercolour illustration you will work from insects in the wild and from museum specimens.

By the end of the workshop you should have completed a finished watercolour of a damsel or dragonfly in its’ natural habitat.

Tips on composition, painting leaves, tackling transparent wings, and showing shine on the body will be covered. There will also be the opportunity to do some sketching in the Garden, and to examine and draw the fascinating larval forms of these animals as well.

Lizzie will be on hand throughout to offer support and advice, and will demonstrate techniques that may be of use.

This course is suitable for those with some experience of using watercolours. It is not suitable for beginners. Please look at other art courses on offer that are designed with beginners in mind.

Friday 19 July - Sunday 21 July 2019

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Event:

Identification of Dragonflies and Damselflies

This course is aimed at those with a desire to learn more about these stunning insects. Open to all levels of ability we aim to introduce you close-up to a good number of our Shropshire species of dragonfly and damselfly, you will leave confident in your own abilites to identify them and make species records. Classroom sessions on identification, life history, larvae and exuviae will combined with a number of field visits to a range of aquatic habitats. This will allow you to put your skills into practice and to observe and understand the visual spectacle of these fascinating insects on the wing.

Sue Rees Evans has served as the Shropshire County Recorder for Dragonflies and Damselflies and the Odonata Tsar for the Shropshire Ecological Data Network for the last 8 years. During this time Sue wrote the Shropshire Dragonflies website which serves as an online atlas and hosts the Shropshire Dragonfly Watch flight season blog. Already an enthusiastic recorder of adult Dragonflies and Damselflies, an MSc in Biological Recording gave Sue the opportunity to dive into the world of larval and exuvial identification. With a real enthusiasm for hands on teaching, Sue has taught numerous courses on Dragonfly and Damselfly identification both as an Associate Tutor for the FSC and for various Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust and projects further afield such as Cold-blooded and Spineless in the North Pennines. Though passing on the County Recorder role in 2018 Sue is looking forward to spending more time teaching and encouraging everyone to enjoy these fabulous insects.

Friday 19 July - Monday 22 July 2019

Settle, North Yorkshire

Event:

Identifying Freshwater Invertebrates

This is a course for both beginners and those with some experience who wish to improve their identification skills on aquatic macroinvertebrates. The Malham estate has a wide variety of aquatic habitats; not only the tarn itself but also ponds, streams and bogs; which support a wide variety of aquatic macroinvertebrates.

You will also have the opportunity to practice with correctly named specimens from other locations. The course focuses on field and laboratory skills training and self confidence in identification at whatever taxonomic level. The course content is flexible and can be tailored to the individual needs of participants. The course will include:

Field collection techniques

Preservation and curation of wet specimens

Use of identification keys including to species level for most groups

Some information on life histories

Introduction to recording distribution data

At the end of the course participants should be:

Confident about using the field techniques for collecting and preserving specimens

Able to recognise many aquatic insects, both adult and juvenile; and other macroinvertebrates; to class, order and even family level in the field

Confident in the use of microscopes and identification keys

Confident in using map references for recording.

Sharon Flint has over 20 years’ experience in identification of adult and juvenile aquatic insects and has taught identification and ecology to university students and professionals. She has worked on aquatic invertebrate surveys for Natural England, the RSPB and the private sector and has carried out research on the ecology of stoneflies and caddisflies. She works as an independent consultant on various projects and with a range of clients and carries out AQC work on aquatic invertebrate samples for consultancies. She is the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union recorder for Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera.

Peter Flint is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society and a Past President of the Yorkshire Naturalists Union. He has been involved in entomology for over 50 years, has a wide ranging knowledge of both aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, and was curator of insects at Lancaster University for over 40 years.

Saturday 20 July 2019

Bushy Park, London

Event:

Discovering Freshwater Invertebrates and Ecology (Bushy Park)

Bushy Park is home to a network of ponds and streams supporting a wide range of species from insect larvae to amphibians. This course will provide an introduction to freshwater pond habitats with a focus on sampling and identifying freshwater invertebrates in the field. This will be a practical course with ample opportunity to sample and identify specimens from several different ponds. By the end of the course participants will:

Have an awareness of a wide variety of freshwater life.

Be confident using a key to identify freshwater invertebrates.

Know how to safely sample freshwater ponds.

Understand the challenges facing freshwater life in the UK and how to submit records

Our Natural History and Exploring Nature and the Arts courses are aimed at those aged 18 and above. If you are interested in one of our courses but are under 18 at the time of the course beginning please contact the Centre hosting the course prior to booking to discuss the content and its suitability.

About the tutor:

Maaike Milligan is a Senior Tutor with the Field Studies Council. She has an MSc in Aquatic Ecology and specialises in freshwater macroinvertebrates. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management and has worked on a wide range of research projects. She is also a qualified Biology Teacher

Timetable

09:45 – Registration and refreshments

10:00 – Introduction to Freshwater Invertebrates

10:30 – Field session: introduction to sampling freshwater ponds

11:15 – Field Identification of Freshwater Invertebrates

12:00 – Lunch – please bring a packed lunch.

13:00 – Field session: assessing the health of freshwater ponds using BMWP (Biological Monitoring Working Party)

15:00 - The ecological status and importance of freshwater habitats in the UK – what we can do to help our own pond habitats.

15:30 – Discussion and summary

16:00 – Course ends

All timings are approximate. This is an outline programme and may be subject to change according to the weather, requirements of the group or access restrictions to field sites on the day of the course.

What to Bring:

Weather-appropriate outdoor clothing

a packed lunch

Health and Safety and Accessibility

There will be a member of staff with first aid training and access to a first aid kit on site.

If you have special medical requirements please let us know as soon as possible so we can plan the course.

Please be aware that this is a Deer Park, and there can be ticks. Please consider wearing long sleeved tops and trousers, even if the weather is nice, and bring insect repellent.

Our courses include some classroom sessions but field visits may be a few hours long and involve walking over uneven ground

Meeting point / Location

The Stockyard, Bushy Park.

FSC in Bushy Park

FSC have been working in partnership with The Royal Parks to deliver courses since 2011. In Bushy Park, our education Centre has two classrooms, toilet facilities, a small kitchen and office space. Alongside this is an area of the Park for education use, not open to members of the public. With two large meadows and grassland areas, woodland areas and three ponds, this is an exciting and inspiring space to discover more about the Park. Located near Hampton Court Palace, Bushy Park's mixture of woods, gardens, ponds and grassland makes it a fantastic place to enjoy wildlife with roaming herds of Red and Fallow Deer. The park is also home to the famous Chestnut Avenue, a formal Baroque water garden and the beautiful Diana Fountain.

Saturday 27 July 2019

Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire

Event:

Identifying Dragonflies

Dragonfly enthusiasts of all levels of ability are welcome to come along and learn more about these stunning insects. The day will start with a classroom workshop introducing this group of insects and focusing on their identification. We will then head to the pools and hopefully introduce you close-up to a good number of the local species. Weather permitting there will be ample chance to allow you to put your identification skills into practice and to observe and understand the visual spectacle of these fascinating insects on the wing.

Sue is Shropshire County Recorder for the British Dragonfly Society and the Odonata Tsar for the Shropshire Ecological Data Network. Sue recently completed an MSc in Biological Recording focusing on dragon and damselfly larval habitats. In between teaching for Shropshire based museums, Sue also leads dragonfly courses for the Field Studies Council, the National Trust and regional Wildlife Trusts.

Sunday 28th July 2019

Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire

Event:

Introducing the Dragonfly

Field course led by Henry Curry, BDS Secretary.

Specifically designed for the beginner, this course includes dragonfly identification, biology and ecology, including a session with the Microscope-TV link and a field tour of dragonfly habitats on site.

Friday 16- Sunday 18 August 2019

Rutland Waters, Rutland

Birdfair 2019

All photos published on this site are copyright of the original photographer and are reproduced with their permission. All other content of this site is copyright of the British Dragonfly Society except where explicitly stated otherwise. The British Dragonfly Society is a registered charity, number 1168300.